There is always a need for heated liquids and gases. Lack of efficiency in converting electric energy into usable thermal energy has been problematic. Electric heaters ultimately rely on fossil fuels to produce electricity, thus consumption of fossil fuels produces CO2 that contributes to global warming. Therefore, when using electricity to produce heat, it is important to use that electricity sparingly and efficiently to minimize damage to the global environment.
The heating efficiency of many prior art devices varies considerably: between 40%-60% for nichrome wire heaters, and 60%-80% for induction heaters generally. These differences are attributable to: the nature of the heated substance (liquid, gas, or a mixture thereof), dynamic properties of the substance (stationary or moving liquid or gas), contacting surface shape and area, and the shape and location of any insulation. When heating liquids and gases, it is most advantageous to utilize a heating element that addresses some aspects of fluid dynamics (e.g. laminar flow, turbulent flow, fluid adhesiveness, cohesiveness, viscosity (and inviscid flow), friction and pressure loss, steady and unsteady flow, fluid velocity, and other fluid attributes) and the physical properties of the substances to be heated (melting point, boiling point, enthalpy, inductivity, properties of thermal expansion, and other physical properties). Heat transmission to liquids and gases is determined by the flow of fluid, fluid surface area, stirring phenomena (involving mixing of heated with relatively cooler liquid or gas), current speed of fluid, current volume, and mixing phenomenon. Further, as a liquid approaches its boiling point, the temperature difference between liquid and gas must be greater than 10° C. owing to gas generating phenomena, as gas produced at the heating surface forms a parting line which interferes with heating liquid not presently in contact with the heating element. Therefore, at a relatively proximal portion of the boiling point, it is especially necessary to foster stirring and mixture for the purpose of preventing degradation of heating efficiency.
Induction heaters require a relatively large heating area and use a plurality of coils and several converters to improve heating efficiency, as the heating area has limitations in relation to reactance value. Other problems exist with typical nichrome wire resistance-based heating elements including limitations on durability, the need for maintenance, the need to provide a protective covering, and nichrome wire degradation. Additionally, utilization of high output power results in increasing probability of a broken wire when using a plural heater. Moreover, to prevent unhelpful radiation of heat, it is necessary to consider insulation, which increases manufacturing costs, contributes to structural complexity, adds to running costs, and decreases heating efficiency. Furthermore, when heating liquids and gases, limitations in the available heat transfer area result in a decrease in heating efficiency. No known prior art transformer-based heating apparatus improves heating efficiency using heating methods disclosed herein.